Boss Mick McCarthy says transfer-listed striker Paul Taylor has returned to the club “flying” and like the rest of the squad will start the season with a clean slate.
McCarthy made the 26-year-old available for transfer in May after a campaign in which he had been a bit-part player making five starts and 16 sub appearances, scoring once, having recovered from his long-term ankle injury and spent time on loan with former club Peterborough.
However, the Blues manager says that there has been no interest in the Liverpudlian and that he has returned from the summer break raring to go.
"No, he’s come back, he’s come back flying. He was the sixth fittest in the tests. It looks like he means it, so I’m delighted,” McCarthy said.
"As I’ve told them, they all start with a clean sheet, we wipe the slate clean from last season, which always seems a bit unfair to those who played 40 or 46 games.
"But that’s the case, the ones who are the best, the fittest, the strongest and playing best in pre-season will start on August 9th.
"It’s an opportunity for some that didn’t get the chance last season and perhaps had a little whinge and a moan and thought they should have been in. Prove it to me now, starting this week and we’ll see come August 9th.”
McCarthy is pleased to be back at Playford Road ahead of his second full campaign as Town boss: "It’s always exciting coming back. I’ve enjoyed my holiday, we’ve all enjoyed our break, the lads are looking forward to it.
"I think they’re ready to get back. They all train throughout the close season and they came back in great shape on Friday.
"I remember being a player, you just want to get back and start training and playing again. It’s exciting stuff. Everybody starts with a clean sheet, it’s back to basics and crack on.”
Speaking in March winger Paul Anderson said he felt he never reached his best form during 2013/14 having missed a large part of last summer’s pre-season, although McCarthy says he was happy enough with the 25-year-old’s form.
"I hope Ando with a pre-season improves because I thought he had a good season last season,” he said. "He made that point to me as well and if you do miss pre-season that’s a big part of it.
"It’s like it’s in the bank that work, it’s done. That’s your back-up in case you get left out, you get suspended, you get injured, you’ve got your groundwork for the season done. And for some of them it’s more important.
"I know all about Chambo, Cressy, Tommy Smith, Christophe Berra, Gerken, Hyam, Skuse, Murphy, McGoldrick, Tabby, all those that played. They’ve got the brownie points, they’re OK. But some of them need to work harder in pre-season and that’s always the case.
"The ones I’ve just mentioned, I know they’ll be bang at it all pre-season. That’s what they’re like, they’re good pros, they’ve been there, seen it, done it, some of the younger ones have got to get up to that standard.”
The Town boss also had praise for fitness coach Andy Liddell, the man in charge the Blues' pre-season preparations: "Lids is terrific. He’s crucial to the set-up, they all are.
"I don’t go shouting it from the rooftops but we don’t have the biggest squad, we don’t have the biggest staff but what we’ve got is quality in there, on the playing side and on the staff side — physios, masseurs, whoever we have dealing with them, coaching staff.
"Andy Liddell’s different class, he’s great with them. And he’s my sort of bloke he says it like it is, a good Yorkshire lad. He tells them and when he tells them he expects them to do it, there’s no grey areas, it’s great.”
The squad are off to the Carton House hotel in Co Kildare next week ahead of their opening friendly against Shelbourne at Tolka Park on Saturday 12th July (KO 3pm).